Preseason football is over for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Over the next 48 hours, Bengals coach Zac Taylor and director of personnel Duke Tobin will finalize the team's 53-man roster for the upcoming season ahead of the 6 p.m. deadline on Aug. 30.
Once the roster is selected, all focus turns to the Bengals’ season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Buy Bengals tickets
Cincinnati doesn’t have many roster spots open as the team appears to be as deep as we’ve seen in the Joe Burrow era, but there are still a few spots open for players who could make an impact this season.
Here are four players who helped their case in the Bengals’ preseason finale:
Dohnte Meyers, wide receiver
The Bengals are loaded at the wide receiver position and that makes climbing the depth chart a daunting
task. Don’t tell Dohnte Meyers that, though.
Meyers – who most recently played in the Canadian Football League – made such a positive impact in the voluntary offseason workout program in May and June, that Burrow included him in a private throwing session with a few other receivers prior to training camp.
From the first training camp practice on July 29 to the first half of the final preseason game, Meyers continued to make an impact every time he took the field. He went from primarily getting reps with the second team, to getting 1-on-1 work Burrow following practice on Aug. 27.
Meyers needed to prove he could bring something different to the Bengals’ offense than the other receivers. The Bengals are hoping to be more explosive on offense this season, and Meyers can help with that. His best trait is his ability to make plays in space after he catches the ball, and that was apparent against the Eagles on Friday night when he caught three passes for 51 yards.
Only time will tell if Meyers makes the 53-man roster, but his arrow is certainly trending upwards as preseason ends.
Tanner Hudson, tight end
In addition to wide receiver, one of the other positions the Bengals are deepest at is tight end. Heading into training camp, Tanner Hudson likely wouldn’t have been a name one would think is on the bubble – and no one on the Bengals’ coaching or personnel staff has said as much.
Hudson not playing in Cincinnati’s final preseason game signals he is either a lock to make the 53-man roster or one of the Bengals’ prime trade candidates.
The reason it became a conversation with pundits outside the walls of Paycor Stadium stems from the sheer number of players in the tight end room. Finalizing the roster is a puzzle to put together, and that’s what is happening at positions like tight end.
Cincinnati has Mike Gesicki, Erick All, Drew Sample, Cam Grandy, Jack Endries and Hudson all fighting for four of five roster spots.
Burrow has long been a fan of Hudson praising his reliability over the last few years. Hudson has caught 77 passes for 674 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons with the Bengals.
Tacario Davis, cornerback
When the Bengals selected Tacario Davis in the third round of this year’s draft, his measurables were one of the first things mentioned by the personnel and coaching staff.
Davis is 6-foot-4 with a 33-inch wingspan. He possesses rare physical traits that give him real potential in the NFL.
He’s on this list not because he was ever in jeopardy of not making the roster, rather that he helped his case of potentially earning a bigger role on the team.
It’s been a quiet preseason for Davis until the final preseason game against the Eagles when Davis recorded his first interception.
Veteran cornerback Dax Hill has missed the last few weeks of training camp with a lower body injury. Davis started getting first-team reps in place of Hill ahead of the final preseason game and it was noteworthy.
Getting on the stat sheet and generating turnovers is the easiest way for a rookie like Davis to earn the trust of the coaching staff.
Swayze Bozeman, linebacker
Sorting out the Bengals’ linebacker room behind Demetrius Knight Jr., Barrett Carter and Oren Burks is a challenge.
Joe Giles-Harris and Shaka Heyward are the other known commodities at this point, but neither had a particularly strong training camp.
Swayze Bozeman, who signed with the Bengals after he was acquired off waivers from the New York Giants in May, is the linebacker who made the most noise behind Knight, Carrett and Burks.
Bozeman began his career in the NFL as a college free agent signee with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 and saw action in six total games as a rookie, including three postseason games.
When Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden played his second-team defense throughout training camp, Bozeman was always in the mix. Bozeman started at linebacker against the Eagles, signaling he’s someone the coaching staff trusts and wanted to get a closer look at.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: These 4 players made the best case to make the Bengals' 53-man roster
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
